Particle beam therapy system

ABSTRACT

A particle therapy system has an irradiation system attached to a rotary drum of a gantry. A radiation treatment cage disposed in the rotary drum includes a movable floor including a horizontal floor portion. The movable floor includes a number of footboards connected bendably and X-ray transmission plates. The movable floor has a slide member at each end thereof, and the slide member is movably attached to a guide rail that is provided for each of opposite side surfaces of the irradiation system. X-ray sources are disposed outside the rotary drum apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the rotary drum and attached to the outer surface of the rotary drum. The irradiation system includes X-ray detection systems opposite to the X-ray sources.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a particle therapy system suitably usedfor treating cancer with a particle beam, which is one kind ofradiation.

2. Description of the Related Art

Particle therapy systems that deliver a particle beam (proton or baryonbeam) to a target volume in accordance with its position and shape havebeen used in, for example, cancer treatment.

Known particle therapy systems are roughly classified into particletherapy systems with a synchrotron as an accelerator (for example,JP-2004-358237-A) and particle therapy systems with a cyclotron as anaccelerator (for example, JP-2011-92424-A). The particle therapy systemwith the synchrotron and the particle therapy system with the cyclotronboth have a gantry provided with an irradiation system.

For the particle therapy to be efficiently conducted, it is necessary todeliver the particle beam to the cancer lesion with high accuracy, andin view of this, particle therapy systems with the structure thatenables to set the irradiation system to the optimum irradiation pointof the patient have been developed. The particle therapy on the patientfrom any direction with such a particle therapy system requires a gantrysystem capable of rotating around the patient by 360° and a radiationtreatment cage (hereinafter referred to as treatment cage) that operatessynchronizing with the rotation.

An example of the gantry with the treatment cage has been disclosed inJP-H-11-47287-A. The treatment cage includes a movable floor, and arotatable-side ring rail and a fixed-side ring rail disposed inside thegantry and attached to the gantry. The fixed-side ring rail and therotatable-side ring rail have, on their opposite surfaces, asemi-cylindrical orbit that guides the movable floor. The movable floorincludes a number of footboards that are connected with each other insuch a manner that the footboards can be freely bent, and the movablefloor moves along the semi-cylindrical orbit synchronizing with therotation of the gantry. Because of the semi-cylindrical orbit, ahorizontal floor portion (access floor) is formed by some footboards ofthe movable floor. The horizontal floor portion enables a medicalpractitioner (for example, a doctor or a medical technician) to stand onthe horizontal floor portion and easily access the patient on thetreatment stand inserted into the treatment cage.

An example of the treatment cage installed in the gantry has beendisclosed in JP-2011-156263-A. In this treatment cage, the slide membersprovided at the opposite ends of the movable floor in thecircumferential direction of the gantry are slidably attached to a pairof guide rails, which serves as the guide member and is provided for thetwo side surfaces of the irradiation system attached to the gantryopposite to each other in the rotating direction of the gantry.

JP-2008-544833-T has disclosed in FIG. 10A, FIG. 10B, and FIG. 10C, theradiation therapy system where the image of the patient is formed whilethe radiation process is carried out. For forming the image, a pair ofX-ray sources that emits the X-rays toward a first imaging center andanother pair of X-ray sources that emits the X-rays toward a secondimaging center are installed within a depression provided for the floorof the operating room and below the floor surface, and the X-raytransparent material is attached to the floor surface covering theseX-ray sources.

Moreover, JP-H-1-209077-A has disclosed one example of positioning thetarget volume relative to the irradiation system. In this positioningmethod, the amount of movement of the bed for positioning the targetvolume is calculated using the reference image information formed basedon the tomographic information obtained from the X-ray computedtomography system in advance before the position of the target volumeand the current X-ray image information in the orthogonal two directionsformed based on the X-ray detection signals from the X-ray detectionsystem having detected the X-ray emitted from the X-ray source providedfor the irradiation system and transmitted through the target volume ofthe patient on the bed before the irradiation with the ion beam. Basedon the calculated amount of movement of the bed, the bed is movedmanually to determine the position of the target volume relative to theirradiation system. According to JP-H-1-209077-A, the bed may be movedautomatically based on the calculated amount of movement of the bed.

According to JP-2006-239403-A, the amount of movement of the bed and therotation angle of the bed are calculated and based on the calculatedamount of movement and rotation angle, the target volume isautomatically positioned relative to the irradiation system by the bedcontroller. In JP-2006-239403-A, the target volume is positioned usingthe reference tomographic information of the target volume obtained fromthe X-ray computed tomography in advance and the current tomographicimage information formed based on the output signals from the X-raydetection system obtained by detecting the X-ray emitted from the X-raysource provided for the irradiation system attached to the gantry andtransmitting through the patient on the treatment stand while the gantryis rotated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the particle therapy system including the treatment cage with themovable floor having the positioning driver, the patient on the bedneeds to be positioned to the isocenter (bed positioning) after theoperation of positioning the treatment cage is completed. In one way ofthe bed positioning, the X-ray generator and the X-ray detection system(for example, FPD) mounted on the positioning driver provided in theaxis direction of the gantry are pulled out to the position of theisocenter and then the patient on the bed is X-rayed.

In the case of using such a positioning driver, however, the operationspeed is required to be 100 mm/sec or less from the safety point of viewbecause the operation distance of the X-ray generator is several meters(for example, about 1.8 meters). For this reason, just operating thepositioning driver may take ten and several seconds (about 18 seconds).In addition, for the precise positioning, a plurality of suchpositioning drivers is mounted. If the plural positioning drivers cannotbe operated at the same time, the time required for positioning ismultiplied by the number of drivers and this is a major issue inimproving the treatment throughput.

In one structure to improve the treatment throughput, the movable flooris omitted and a polygonal fixed floor is provided for the treatmentcage, and the X-ray generator and the X-ray detection system are fixedat the position where the center axis of the gantry is sectioned at theposition of the isocenter. In such a structure, the operation of thepositioning driver is not necessary, so that the operation time of thepositioning driver is zero, thereby shortening the positioning time.However, the horizontal floor of the treatment cage is formed at acertain pitch in accordance with the number of corners of the polygonand moreover, the treatment cage cannot be increased in size. Thesefacts interrupt the medical practitioner's easy access to the patient.

An object of the present invention is to provide a particle therapysystem that enables the medical practitioner to access the patienteasily and improves the treatment throughput.

A feature of the present invention for achieving the object is toinclude: a gantry; an irradiation system which is attached to the gantryand to which an ion beam is incident; a treatment cage installed in thegantry, having an orbit including an arc-like portion and a horizontalportion communicating with the arc-like portion, and including asurrounding member formed by a plurality of connected footboard membersand capable of moving along the orbit; an X-ray source disposed outsidethe surrounding member and attached to the gantry; and an X-raydetection system disposed inside the surrounding member, attached to theirradiation system, and detecting an X-ray from the X-ray source, andthe surrounding member includes an X-ray transmission member disposedbetween the adjacent footboard members, connected to the each of theadjacent footboard members, disposed between the X-ray source and theX-ray detection system, and transmitting an X-ray emitted from the X-raysource.

The surrounding member moving along the orbit including the arc-likeportion and the horizontal portion communicating with this arc-likeportion forms the horizontal floor portion in the horizontal portion ofthe orbit. A medical practitioner can stand on the horizontal floorportion and can easily access the patient on the bed inserted into thesurrounding member. The X-ray source is attached to the gantry, and theX-ray detection system that detects the X-ray from this X-ray source isattached to the irradiation system. This configuration eliminates thenecessity of moving the X-ray source and the X-ray detection system inthe axial direction of the gantry in X-raying the target volume. Thus,the time required to start X-raying the target volume can be shortened.This can improve the treatment throughput.

Preferably, the X-ray source is disposed outside the gantry and attachedto the outer surface of the gantry and the X-ray transmission hole isformed at the position of the gantry opposite to the X-ray source.

According to the present invention, the medical practitioner can accessthe patient easily and the treatment throughput can be improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a structure diagram illustrating a particle therapy systemaccording to a first embodiment corresponding to a preferred embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a magnified longitudinal sectional diagram of a gantryillustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram viewed from arrows III-III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a magnified perspective view of a radiation treatment cageillustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a footboard illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of an X-ray transmission plate illustrated in FIG.4;

FIG. 7 is a diagram for describing the state of the movable floor of theradiation treatment cage when the rotation angle of the gantryillustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is 0°;

FIG. 8 is a diagram for describing the state of the movable floor of theradiation treatment cage when the rotation angle of the gantryillustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is 135°;

FIG. 9 is a diagram for describing the state of the movable floor of theradiation treatment cage when the rotation angle of the gantryillustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is 180′;

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating how easily the medical practitioner onthe horizontal floor portion of the movable floor can access the patienton the treatment stand in the particle therapy system according to thefirst embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the positions of the X-raytransmission plates in the radiation treatment cage and the positions ofthe X-ray transmission on the X-ray transmission plates when therotation angle of the gantry illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is 0°;

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the positions of the X-raytransmission plates in the radiation treatment cage and the positions ofthe X-ray transmission on the X-ray transmission plates when therotation angle of the gantry illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is 90°;

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the positions of the X-raytransmission plates in the radiation treatment cage and the positions ofthe X-ray transmission on the X-ray transmission plates when therotation angle of the gantry illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is 180°;

FIG. 14 is a diagram for describing the state of the movable floor ofthe radiation treatment cage when the rotation angle of the gantry is 0°in a particle therapy system according to a second embodimentcorresponding to another preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a diagram for describing the state of the movable floor ofthe radiation treatment cage when the rotation angle of the gantry is135° in the particle therapy system according to the second embodiment;and

FIG. 16 is a structure diagram illustrating a particle therapy systemaccording to a third embodiment corresponding to another preferredembodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described.

First Embodiment

A particle therapy system according to a first embodiment correspondingto a preferred embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter bedescribed with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 4.

A particle therapy system 1 according to this embodiment is installed ina building (not illustrated), specifically on a floor surface of thebuilding. This particle therapy system 1 includes, as illustrated inFIG. 1, an ion beam generator 2, a high energy beam transport (HEBT) 15,a gantry beam transport (GABT) 20, a gantry 28, and an irradiationsystem 57. The particle therapy system 1 employs a proton ion beam asthe ion beam to be delivered to the target volume of the cancer (beamdelivery target). A carbon ion beam may be employed instead of theproton ion beam.

The ion beam generator 2 includes an ion source (not illustrated), and alinear accelerator 14 and a synchrotron accelerator 3 corresponding to apreaccelerator. The synchrotron accelerator 3 includes a circular beamduct 4 constituting the circulating orbit of the ion beam, an injector5, a radiofrequency acceleration cavity (radiofrequency accelerator) 8that applies radiofrequency voltage to the ion beam, a plurality ofbending magnets 6, a plurality of quadrupole magnets 7, an extractionradiofrequency application system 9, and an extraction septum magnet 13.The injector 5 communicating with the beam duct 4 is connected to thelinear accelerator 14 through a vacuum duct. The ion source is alsoconnected to the linear accelerator 14. The radiofrequency applicationsystem 9 includes an extraction radiofrequency electrode 10, aradiofrequency power source 11, and an opening/closing switch 12. Theextraction radiofrequency electrode 10 is attached to the circular beamduct 4, and is connected to the radiofrequency power source 11 throughthe opening/closing switch 12. The bending magnets 6, the quadrupolemagnets 7, the radiofrequency acceleration cavity 8, and the septummagnet 13 are disposed along the beam duct 4 as illustrated in FIG. 1.

The HEBT (first beam transport) 15 includes a beam path (beam duct) 16connected to the septum magnet 13 of the synchrotron accelerator 3, andis configured to have a plurality of quadrupole magnets 18, a bendingmagnet 17, and a plurality of quadrupole magnets 19 disposed along thebeam path 16 in a direction from the synchrotron accelerator 3 to theirradiation system 57.

The GABT (second beam transport) 20 includes a beam path (beam duct) 21,and is configured to have a bending magnet 22, quadrupole magnets 25 and26, and bending magnets 23 and 24 disposed along the beam path 21 in adirection from the synchrotron accelerator 3 to the irradiation system57. The beam path 21 and the magnets of the GABT 20 are attached to thegantry 28. The beam path 21 communicates with the beam path 16 in ascramble portion 27 between the HEBT 15 and the GABT 20. The beam path21 is rotated by the gantry 28; for this reason, the beam path 21 is notdirectly connected to the beam path 16.

The irradiation system 57 includes two scanning magnets (ion beamscanning systems) 58 and 59, a beam position monitor 60, and a dosemonitor 61. The irradiation system 57 is attached to the gantry 28 inthe downstream side relative to the bending magnet 24. The scanningmagnets 58 and 59, the beam position monitor 60, and the dose monitor 61are disposed in this order along a center axis 97 of the irradiationsystem 57 in a direction from the bending magnet 24 to the ion beam exitof the irradiation system 57. The scanning magnet 58 scans the ion beamin the X direction while having the ion beam bent within a planeperpendicular to the center axis 97 of the irradiation system 57, andthe scanning magnet 59 scans the ion beam in the Y direction orthogonalto the X direction while having the ion beam bent within that plane. Atreatment stand 62 on which a patient 70 lies down is disposed oppositeto the end of the irradiation system 57.

The gantry 28 is described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. Thegantry 28 includes a semi-cylindrical rotary drum 29 including a frontring 30 and a rear ring 31. The front ring 30 is supported by a supportsystem 32A installed on a floor 72 of the building, and the rear ring 31is supported by a support system 32B installed on the floor 72. Thesupport system 32A includes a pair of roll supporters 33 and a pluralityof support rollers 34A. The support rollers 34A are attached rotatablyto each of the roll supporters 33. The front ring 30 is supported bythese support rollers 34A. Like the support system 32A, the supportsystem 32B also includes a pair of roll supporters 33 (not illustrated)and a plurality of support rollers 34B. The support rollers 34B arerotatably attached to each of the roll supporters 33. The rear ring 31is supported by these support rollers 34B. The gantry 28 is rotated by arotating system (such as a motor) 49. The rotation system 49 has arotating shaft thereof connected to the rotating shaft of one of thesupport rollers 34B that support the rear ring 31 through a decelerator50. An angle detector 51 that detects the rotating angle of the gantry28 is connected to the rotating shaft of one of the support rollers 34Athat support the front ring 30.

A radiation therapy cage (treatment cage) 35 is installed in the gantry28. The treatment cage 35 is configured to enable a medical technician93 (see FIG. 10), for example, to carry out the medical treatment on thepatient 70 on the treatment stand 62 while protecting the safety of thepatient 70 from the circulating path of the irradiation system 57 in thecircumferential direction of the gantry 28. That is to say, it isdesirable that the treatment cage 35 provides the scaffolding thatenables the medical technician 93 to carry out the medical treatment andbesides the scaffolding, provides the closed space from the outside.

The treatment cage 35 includes a movable floor 36, a fixed-side ringrail 45A, a movable-side ring rail 45B, and a back panel 46. Thefixed-side ring rail 45A is disposed inside the front ring 30 inaccordance with the position of the front ring 30. The movable-side ringrail 45B is disposed opposite to the front ring 30 and on the rear ring31 side. The irradiation system 57 is disposed between the fixed-sidering rail 45A and the movable-side ring rail 45B. The back panel 46 thataccepts the treatment cage 35 in the depth direction is fixed to themovable-side ring rail 45B. The fixed-side ring rail 45A and themovable-side ring rail 45B have their opposite surfaces provided with asemi-cylindrical orbit 76 (see FIG. 7). In this embodiment, thesemi-cylindrical shape refers to the shape including the arc-likeportion on the upper side and the horizontal portion on the lower sidewith the opposite ends of the arc-like portion smoothly connecting tothe opposite ends of the horizontal portion. The area where the arc-likeportion and the horizontal portion are connected refers to the connectedportion.

The movable floor 36 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 4, a number offootboards (footboard members) 38 made of metal (for example, made of asteel plate), and X-ray transmission plates (X-ray transmission members)39 and 40. The movable floor 36 is disposed between the fixed-side ringrail 45A and the movable-side ring rail 45B. The movable floor 36 is asurrounding member formed by a number of footboards 38, the single X-raytransmission plate 39 and the single X-ray transmission plate 40 in amanner that they are freely bendable. The X-ray transmission plates 39and 40 are separately disposed between the adjacent footboards 38 in themovable floor 36. The footboards 38 do not transmit the X-ray but theX-ray transmission plates 39 and 40 do. Each footboard 38 is a long andthin rectangular plate extending in the axis direction of the gantry 28,and has a width of W₁ in the circumference direction of the gantry 28 asillustrated in FIG. 5. Each of the X-ray transmission plates 39 and 40is a long and thin rectangular plate extending in the axis direction ofthe gantry 28, and has a width of W₂ in the circumference direction ofthe gantry 28 as illustrated in FIG. 6. The width W₂ of each of theX-ray transmission plates 39 and 40 is larger than the width W₁ of thefootboard 38. Each of the X-ray transmission plates 39 and 40 includes ametal plate 94 made of metal such as aluminum alloy and an X-raytransmission portion (X-ray transmission area) 95 that transmits theX-ray. The X-ray transmission portion 95 is, for example, a rectangulargraphite plate and has a width of W₃ in the circumferential direction ofthe gantry 28. The width W₃ is larger than the width W₁ of the footboard38 and smaller than the width W₂ of the X-ray transmission plates 39 and40. The movable floor 36 includes footboard groups 74A, 74B, and 74C.The X-ray transmission plate 39 is disposed between the footboard group74A and the footboard group 74C, and the X-ray transmission plate 40 isdisposed between the footboard group 74B and the footboard group 74C.The X-ray transmission portion 95 is fitted into an opening, which isprovided for the metal plate 94 and has the same size as the X-raytransmission portion 95, so as to be unified with the metal plate 94.The X-ray transmission portion 95 is surrounded by the metal plate 94.The X-ray transmission portion 95 can be formed of reinforced glass orplastic instead of graphite, and is formed of the non-metal materialtransparent to the X-ray, such as graphite, reinforced glass, or plastic(the non-metal material that easily transmits the X-ray). Alternatively,the X-ray transmission portion 95 may be omitted from the X-raytransmission plates 39 and 40 and instead, the X-ray transmission plates39 and 40 may be formed of the non-metal material transparent to theX-ray (any of graphite, reinforced glass, and plastic).

In the footboard groups 74A, 74B, and 74C, a pair of wheels is rotatablyattached to opposite ends of each footboard 38 in the longitudinaldirection. The X-ray transmission plates 39 and 40 are provided with apair of wheels at opposite ends thereof similarly. In a set of footboardgroups 74A, 74B, and 74C, the adjacent footboards 38 are connectedbendably at the opposite ends in the longitudinal direction of thefootboard 38 (the wheels of the adjacent footboards 38 are connectedwith a link), and both sides of each footboard in the width direction isbent inward (see JP-H-11-47287-A, the paragraph [0018] and FIG. 4). TheX-ray transmission plate 39 is also connected bendably to each of theadjacent footboard 38 included in the footboard group 74A and theadjacent footboard 38 included in the footboard group 74C. The X-raytransmission plate 40 is similarly connected bendably to each of theadjacent footboard 38 included in the footboard group 74B and theadjacent footboard 38 included in the footboard group 74C. An end 44B ofeach of the footboards 38 and the X-ray transmission plates 39 and 40 inthe axis direction of the gantry 28 runs within the semi-cylindricalorbit 76 provided for the movable-side ring rail 45B. An end 44A of eachof the footboards 38 and the X-ray transmission plates 39 and 40 in theaxis direction of the gantry 28 runs within the semi-cylindrical orbit76 provided for the fixed-side ring rail 45A.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the fixed-side ring rail 45A is supported on aceiling 92 of the building with a fixed supporter 56, and is furthersupported on the floor 72 with a fixed supporter 54. The movable-sidering rail 45B is supported by a plurality of support rollers 48Bdisposed along a circumferential direction of the rotary drum 29 on aninner surface of a support ring 55 disposed on an inner surface of therotary drum 29 of the gantry 28. A ring rail driver 52 rotates themovable-side ring rail 45B in the direction opposite to the rotation ofthe gantry 28. The ring rail driver 52 is connected to one supportroller 48A out of the support rollers 48B through a decelerator 53. Thering rail driver 52 and the decelerator 53 are installed on the innersurface of the rotary drum 29.

The irradiation system 57 rotates along with the rotation of the gantry28 and driving of the ring rail driver 52 causes the support roller 48Ato rotate the movable-side ring rail 45B in the opposite direction. Ifthe gantry 28 is rotated in the opposite direction, the rotation of thesupport roller 48A by the driving of the ring rail driver 52 causes themovable-side ring rail 45B to rotate in the normal direction. Since themovable-side ring rail 45B rotates relative to the gantry 28, themovable-side ring rail 45B seems to stand still when viewed from atreatment room 43. As a result, even if the gantry 28 is rotated, thetreatment cage 35 maintains the semi-cylindrical orbit 76 (the arc-likeportion on the upper side and the horizontal portion on the lower side).That is to say, the movable floor 36 of the treatment cage 35 constantlyconstitutes a horizontal floor portion 79 without depending on therotation angle of the gantry 28.

The movable floor 36 has enough rigidity, and will not deform even ifthe medical technician 93 works standing on the movable floor 36. Themovable floor 36 offers a work space around the treatment stand 62.

In the footboard group 74C, a cover winding system 42 is installedbetween a pair of adjacent footboards 38. Upon the generation of theopening between the pair of footboards 38, the cover winding system 42sends out the cover 41 to close the opening 75 (see FIG. 7). The coverwinding system 42 may be configured in accordance with a known art, suchas a winding pipe with the structure to maintain the tension, forexample, roll screen or roll curtain.

Description will be made of a connector 68 between the irradiationsystem 57 and each end of the movable floor 36 (each of the footboardgroups 74A and 74B) with reference to FIG. 4. The connector 68 includesa pair of slide members 69A and 69B and a pair of guide rails 71. Theconnector 68 is provided for each of a pair of side surfaces of theirradiation system 57 opposite to each other in the rotation directionof the gantry 28. The pair of slide members 69A and 69B is attached toone end of each of the footboard groups 74A and 74B. A pair of guiderails 71 as the guide members is installed on each of a pair of sidesurfaces of the irradiation system 57 opposite to each other in therotating direction of the gantry 28. The slide members 69A and 69Battached to one end of the footboard group 74A are separately andmovably attached to the pair of guide rails 71 installed on one sidesurface of the irradiation system 57. The slide members 69A and 69Battached to one end of the footboard group 74B are separately andmovably attached to the pair of guide rails 71 installed on the otherside surface of the irradiation system 57. As a result, the one end ofeach of the footboard groups 74A and 74B is connected to each of thepair of side surfaces of the irradiation system 57 by the connector 68(the slide members 69A and 69B and a pair of guide rails 71) in a mannerof being slidable in the radial direction of the gantry 28.

The irradiation system 57 has a shape tapering toward the center ofrotation of the gantry 28. As a result, the pair of side surfaces of theirradiation system 57 opposite to each other in the rotating directionof the gantry 28 is inclined relative to the normal line of the rotationsurface of the gantry 28.

The treatment room 43 is surrounded by the movable floor 36 of thetreatment cage 35 within the rotary drum 29. The treatment room 43 isopen on the front ring 30 side and closed by the back panel 46 on therear ring 31 side. The irradiation system 57 is attached to the rotarydrum 29 and extends toward the center of the rotary drum 29, and reachesthe treatment room 43 formed more on the inside than the movable floor36. The beam path 21 of the GABT 20 connected to the irradiation system57 extends toward the rear ring 31 as illustrated in FIG. 2, andcommunicates with the beam path 16 of the HEBT 15 in the scrambleportion 27 on the outside of the gantry 28. A center axis 28A of thegantry 28 (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) corresponds to the center of therotation of the gantry 28 and goes along the center of the entrance ofthe beam path 21 in the scramble portion 27.

The treatment stand 62 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a bed 63, anX-direction driving mechanism 64, a Y-direction driving mechanism 66, avertical driving mechanism 65, and a rotation driving mechanism 67.These driving mechanisms are disposed outside the rotary drum 29. TheX-direction driving mechanism 64 is installed in a treatment standattachment area 73, which is higher than the floor 72. The X-directiondriving mechanism 64 moves the bed 63 in a direction orthogonal to therotating axis of the gantry 28. The vertical driving mechanism 65 isinstalled on the X-direction driving mechanism 64, the Y-directiondriving mechanism 66 is installed on the vertical driving mechanism 65,and the rotation driving mechanism 67 is installed on the Y-directiondriving mechanism 66. The bed 63 is installed on the rotation drivingmechanism 67 and is supported by these driving mechanisms. TheY-direction driving mechanism 66 moves the bed 63 in a direction wherethe rotation axis of the gantry 28 extends. The rotation drivingmechanism 67 rotates the bed 63 in a horizontal plane.

The treatment room 43 is formed by partitioning the space in the rotarydrum 29 of the gantry 28 with the back panel 46, which serves as apartition wall. The treatment room 43 is set to the floor level near therotation center of such a degree that the rotation radius of the gantry28 is secured; thus, the treatment room 43 is set at a height of usually6 to 8 m relative to the lowest position of the inner surface of therotary drum 29. Therefore, the patient 70 on the bed 63 in the treatmentstand 62 exists in the space at that height, and the treatment cage 35forming the space surrounding the patient 70 therefore needs to be safefor the patient and the medical technician.

In order to obtain the image information of the target volume used toposition the target volume before the target volume is irradiated with aparticle beam and to confirm the position of the target volume duringthe irradiation with the particle beam, the particle therapy system 1includes X-ray sources (X-ray generators) 71A and 71B and X-raydetection systems (such as flat panel detectors (FPD)) 72A and 72B. TheX-ray detection systems 72A and 72B are provided for a pair of sidesurfaces of the irradiation system 57 opposite to each other in thecirculating direction. The X-ray sources 71A and 71B are disposed at thecenter axis 97 of the irradiation system 57 in the axial direction ofthe gantry 28 (see FIG. 2). The X-ray detection systems 72A and 72B maybe a semiconductor detector or a scintillator.

The X-ray source 71A is installed on the outer surface of the rotarydrum 29 of the gantry 28 by a supporter 91 as illustrated in FIG. 7. Acollimator 77A is disposed on the outside of the rotary drum 29 in frontof the X-ray source 71A and is attached to the supporter 91. The X-raydetection system 72A is disposed opposite to the X-ray source 71A and isattached to one side surface of the irradiation system 57 in thecirculating direction as to receive an X-ray 78A emitted from the X-raysource 71A. At the position in the rotary drum 29 opposite to the X-raysource 71A, a penetration hole (X-ray transmission hole) 96A with thesize to transmit the X-ray emitted from the X-ray source 71A is formed.In addition, the X-ray source 71A and the penetration hole 96A aredisposed opposite to the X-ray transmission plate 40 included in themovable floor 36.

The X-ray source 71B is installed on the outer surface of the rotarydrum 29 of the gantry 28 by the supporter 91 as illustrated in FIG. 7. Acollimator 77B is disposed on the outside of the rotary drum 29 in frontof the X-ray source 71B and is attached to the supporter 91. The X-raydetection system 72B is disposed opposite to the X-ray source 71B and isattached to the other side surface of the irradiation system 57 in thecirculating direction as to receive an X-ray 78B emitted from the X-raysource 71B. At the position in the rotary drum 29 opposite to the X-raysource 71B, a penetration hole (X-ray transmission hole) 96B with thesize to transmit the X-ray emitted from the X-ray source 71B is formed.In addition, the X-ray source 71B and the penetration hole 96B aredisposed opposite to the X-ray transmission plate 39 included in themovable floor 36. The X-ray transmission portion 95 of the X-raytransmission plate 39 is disposed opposite to the X-ray source 71A. TheX-ray transmission portion 95 of the X-ray transmission plate 40 isdisposed opposite to the X-ray source 71B.

Each of the X-ray detection systems 72A and 72B is substantiallyconfigured to have 330 columns×330 rows of X-ray detectors (notillustrated) arranged on each of the planes thereof facing each of theX-ray transmission plates 39 and 40 (for example, the square plane witha length of approximately 50 cm on a side). The X-ray detector has, forexample, a square X-ray incidence surface with a length of approximately1.5 mm on a side (see JP-2006-239403-A, the paragraph [0027]).

The angle between the line connecting an isocenter 98 and the hole (notillustrated) of the collimator 77A that transmits the X-ray and the lineconnecting the isocenter 98 and the hole (not illustrated) of thecollimator 77B that transmits the X-ray is 90° (see FIG. 11). Therefore,the X-ray source 71A and the X-ray source 71B are disposed displaced by90° in the circumferential direction of the gantry 28.

The function of the X-ray sources 71A and 71B and the X-ray detectionsystems 72A and 72B is described based on an example of positioning thetarget volume before the target volume is irradiated with an ion beam.In this embodiment, the target volume of the patient 70 lying on the bed63 is positioned by the method according to JP-2006-239403-A.

The bed 63 on which the patient 70 lies down is moved by the driving ofthe X-direction driving mechanism 64, the Y-direction driving mechanism66, the vertical driving mechanism 65, and the rotation drivingmechanism 67; thus, the target volume of the patient 70 is roughlypositioned relative to the irradiation system 57. On this occasion, therotation angle of the gantry 28 is, for example, 0° and the irradiationsystem 57 extends downward. While the gantry 28 is rotated, the currentX-ray computed tomography is carried out. In this current X-ray computedtomography, while the gantry 28 is rotated, the X-rays 78A and 78B aredelivered to the target volume of the patient 70 from the X-ray sources71A and 71B, respectively. The X-ray 78A emitted from the X-ray source71A passes through the collimator 77A and the penetration hole 96A andfurther through the X-ray transmission portion 95 of the X-raytransmission plate 40, and then delivered to the target volume. TheX-ray 78A having transmitted through the target volume is detected byeach X-ray detector of the X-ray detection system 72A. The X-ray 78Bemitted from the X-ray source 71B passes through the collimator 77B andthe penetration hole 96B and further through the X-ray transmissionportion 95 of the X-ray transmission plate 39, and then delivered to thetarget volume. The X-ray 78B having transmitted through the targetvolume is detected by each X-ray detector of the X-ray detection system72B. The irradiation of the target volume with the X-rays 78A and 78Bfrom the X-ray sources 71A and 71B is carried out while the gantry 28 isrotated. In this case, the gantry 28 is rotated by, for example, 275°because the X-ray source 71A and the X-ray source 71B are displaced by90° in the circumferential direction of the gantry 28. By rotating thegantry 28 by 275° while the X-rays are emitted from the X-ray sources71A and 71B, the X-ray can be delivered to the target volume of thepatient 70 on the bed 63 from 360° around the patient 70.

Each X-ray detector of the X-ray detection system 72A having detectedthe X-ray 78A outputs the X-ray detection signal. The X-ray detectionsignal output from each X-ray detector is input to a signal processor(not illustrated) connected to each X-ray detector of the X-raydetection system 72A, and each signal processor accumulates the X-raydetection signals to provide the X-ray intensity information at everyset time interval. Each X-ray detector of the X-ray detection system 72Bhaving detected the X-ray 78B also outputs the X-ray detection signal.The X-ray detection signal output from the X-ray detector is input to asignal processor (not illustrated) connected to every X-ray detector ofthe X-ray detection system 72B, and each signal processor accumulatesthe X-ray detection signals to provide the X-ray intensity informationat every set time interval.

To an image information formation system (tomographic informationformation system) (not illustrated), the X-ray intensity information forevery X-ray detector of the X-ray detection system 72A, the X-rayintensity information for every X-ray detector of the X-ray detectionsystem 72B, and the rotation angle of the gantry 28 measured with theangle detector 51 are input. Based on the X-ray intensity informationand the measured rotation angles of the gantry 28, the image informationformation system forms the tomographic information (current tomographicinformation) including the target volume of the patient 70 (seeJP-2006-239403-A, the paragraph [0037]). The formed current tomographicinformation is input to a positioning data generation system (notillustrated). To the positioning data generation system,three-dimensional tomographic information (reference tomographicinformation) obtained by the X-ray computed tomography (reference X-raycomputed tomography) prepared in advance has already been input andstored in the memory (not illustrated). Based on the current tomographicinformation and the reference tomographic information, the positioningdata generation system calculates the amount of movement of the bed 63in the X direction and the Y direction, corresponding to the bedpositioning data in the X-Y plane, the rotation angle of the bed 63, andthe amount of movement of the bed 63 in the Z direction, correspondingto the bed positioning data in the X-Z plane (see JP-2006-239403-A, theparagraphs [0040]-[0044]).

A bed controller (not illustrated) controls the corresponding drivingmechanism for the treatment stand 62 on the basis of the input amount ofmovement of the bed 63 in the X direction, Y direction, and Z directionand the rotation angle of the bed 63, thereby moving the bed 63 (seeJP-2006-239403-A, the paragraph [0045]). In this manner, the targetvolume of the patient 70 on the bed 63 is moved to the positioncoinciding with the isocenter 98 located at the intersection between thecenter axis 97 of the irradiation system 57 and the center axis 28A ofthe gantry 28, and thus the positioning of the target volume iscompleted. After the positioning of the target volume is completed, thetarget volume is irradiated with the particle beam in the particletherapy system 1 to treat the target volume with the particle beam.

Description is made of the summary of the irradiation of the targetvolume of the patient 70 with the particle beam, such as a proton beam(or carbon beam). The gantry 28 can be rotated by 360° around thepatient 70 on the bed 63. Before the target volume is irradiated withthe proton beam (hereinafter simply referred to as ion beam), therotation system 49 is driven to rotate the gantry 28 so that the centeraxis 97 of the irradiation system 57 coincides with the irradiationdirection of the ion beam according to the treatment plan. The gantry 28is rotated at a speed of 1 min⁻¹. Whether the center axis 97 of theirradiation system 57 has coincided with the irradiation direction ofthe ion beam is checked based on the rotation angle of the gantry 28measured with the angle detector 51.

In order to turn the irradiation system 57 to the irradiation directionof the ion beam by rotating the gantry 28, the movable-side ring rail45B is rotated in the direction opposite to the rotation of the gantry28 by the driving of the ring rail driver 52. This makes themovable-side ring rail 45B look like it stands still. Therefore, as theirradiation system 57 is turned by the rotation of the gantry 28, themovable floor 36 with its opposite ends attached movably to a pair ofguide rails 71 on a pair of opposite side surfaces of the irradiationsystem 57 with the slide members 69A and 69B moves along thesemi-cylindrical orbit 76.

The gantry 28 having rotated to the set rotation angle is stopped. Then,the ion (for example, proton) generated in the ion source is incidentinto the linear accelerator 14 and then accelerated therein. The ionbeam emitted from the linear accelerator 14 is incident into thecircular beam duct 4 of the synchrotron accelerator 3 through theinjector 5. While circulating in the beam duct 4, the ion beam isaccelerated until having the set energy (for example, 200 MeV) requiredto reach the deepest layer among a plurality of layers of the targetvolume in the ion beam irradiation direction. The energy of the ion beamused to treat the target volume is usually in the range of 100 to 200MeV, and is set in accordance with the depth of the target volume fromthe surface of the body.

With the scanning magnets 58 and 59, the irradiation point of the ionbeam within the layer is set. The opening/closing switch 12 is closedand the radiofrequency voltage from the radiofrequency power source 11is applied from the extraction radiofrequency electrode 10 to the ionbeam circulating in the beam duct 4. As a result, the circulating ionbeam is emitted from the synchrotron accelerator 3 to the beam path 16through the septum magnet 13. The emitted ion beam reaches theirradiation system 57 through the beam paths 16 and 21. The ion beamhaving reached to the inside of the irradiation system 57 is deliveredto the irradiation point of the ion beam of the target volume in thelayer, which has been set by the scanning magnets 58 and 59.

While the target volume is irradiated with the ion beam in the statethat the center axis 97 of the irradiation system 57 is aligned in apredetermined irradiation direction of the ion beam, the X-ray 78Aemitted from the X-ray source 71A and the X-ray 78B emitted from theX-ray source 71B are delivered to the target volume of the patient 70 onthe bed 63. The X-ray 78A having transmitted through the patient 70 isdetected by each X-ray detector of the X-ray detection system 72A, andthe X-ray 78B having transmitted through the patient 70 is detected byeach X-ray detector of the X-ray detection system 72B.

In a manner similar to the aforementioned positioning of the targetvolume, the signal processor connected to each X-ray detector of theX-ray detection system 72A obtains the X-ray intensity information onthe basis of the X-ray detection signal from the X-ray detector. Theimage information formation system forms the primary two-dimensionalimage information of the target volume in the plane orthogonal to theradiation direction of the X-ray 78A from the X-ray source 71A on thebasis of the X-ray intensity information obtained with each signalprocessor and the measured rotation angle of the gantry 28. The planeorthogonal to the radiation direction of the X-ray 78A from the X-raysource 71A corresponds to the plane orthogonal to the direction to thecenter axis 28A of the gantry 28 at an angle obtained by adding 135° tothe measured rotation angle of the gantry 28 (the angle of center axis97 of the irradiation system 57).

In a manner similar to the aforementioned formation of the primarytwo-dimensional image information, the image information formationsystem forms the secondary two-dimensional image information of thetarget volume in the plane orthogonal to the radiation direction of theX-ray 78B from the X-ray source 71B on the basis of the X-ray intensityinformation obtained with each signal processor connected to each X-raydetector of the X-ray detection system 72B and the measured rotationangle of the gantry 28. The plane orthogonal to the radiation directionof the X-ray 78B from the X-ray source 71B corresponds to the planeorthogonal to the direction to the center axis 28A of the gantry 28 atan angle obtained by adding 225° to the measured rotation angle of thegantry 28 (the angle of the center axis 97 of the irradiation system57).

Based on the primary two-dimensional image information and the secondarytwo-dimensional image information, the size and shape of the targetvolume can be known in the irradiation with the ion beam. In addition,based on how the size and shape of the target volume have changed sincethe start of the irradiation of the target volume with the ion beam, theeffect of the treatment by the irradiation with the ion beam can beknown.

Moreover, the primary two-dimensional image information and thesecondary two-dimensional image information formed by the imageinformation formation system are input to the positioning datageneration system, and the positioning data generation system calculatesthe amount of displacement of the target volume irradiated with the ionbeam from the reference tomographic information on the basis of thereference tomographic information, the primary two-dimensional imageinformation and the secondary two-dimensional image information. Basedon the calculated amount of displacement, the position of the targetvolume currently irradiated with the ion beam can be known.

Description is hereinafter made of the operation of the connector 68including the slide members 69A and 69B and the pair of guide rails 71,which connects between the irradiation system 57 and each of thefootboard groups 74A and 74B.

FIG. 7 illustrates the sectional shape of the movable floor 36 of thetreatment cage 35 when the irradiation system 57 is right above the bed63. In the state illustrated in FIG. 7, the rotation angle of the gantry28 is 0°. The slide members 69A and 69B attached movably to the pair ofguide rails 71 provided for each of the pair of side surfaces of theirradiation system 57 opposite to each other in the rotating directionof the gantry 28 and attached to one end of each of the footboards 74Aand 74B are in the farthest position from the center axis 28A of thegantry 28 in the radial direction of the gantry 28.

Between the pair of footboards 38 in the footboard group 74C, the coverwinding system 42 is installed. Synchronizing with the generation of theopening 75 between the pair of footboards 38, the cover winding system42 sends out the cover 41 so as to close the opening 75 (see FIG. 7).This opening 75 exists right below the bed 63 (at the position where therotation angle of the gantry 28 is 180°). Note that the opening 75 isclosed by the cover 41 but this is not illustrated in FIG. 7 for theconvenience of description. Neither FIG. 8 nor FIG. 9 illustrates thecover 41.

Here, the concept of the inner wall length defined in this embodiment isdescribed. The irradiation system 57 circulates around the rotation axisof the gantry 28 as the gantry 28 rotates. Meanwhile, thesemi-cylindrical orbit 76 which is provided for each of the fixed-sidering rail 45A and the movable-side ring rail 45B of the treatment cage35 and which guides the movable floor 36 stands still. Needless to say,the total length of each semi-cylindrical orbit 76 is constant(unchanged) in the treatment cage 35. Along the length of thesemi-cylindrical orbit 76, which is the length excluding the lengthcorresponding to the irradiation system 57 (the length of theirradiation system 57 between the slide members 69A attached movably tothe guide rails 71 on the pair of side surfaces of the irradiationsystem 57 opposite to each other in the rotating direction of the gantry28) from the entire length of the semi-cylindrical orbit 76, thearc-like portion and the horizontal portion are formed. Of thesemi-cylindrical orbit 76, the length of the arc-like portion and thehorizontal portion is defined as the inner wall length. That is to say,the inner wall length corresponds to the difference between the entirelength of the semi-cylindrical orbit 76 and the length corresponding tothe irradiation system 57. On the other hand, the inner wall lengthsubstantially corresponds to the total of the lengths of the footboardgroups 74A, 74B, and 74C, the widths of the X-ray transmission plates 39and 40, and the length of the opening 75.

While the irradiation system 57 is right above the bed 63, each of theX-ray transmission plates 39 and 40 exists near the connecting portionof the semi-cylindrical orbit 76.

If the orbit for guiding the movable floor 36, which is provided foreach of the fixed-side ring rail 45A and the movable-side ring rail 45Bof the treatment cage, is a circular orbit, the inner wall length isconstant not depending on the rotation angle of the gantry 28. However,since the orbit 76 provided for each of the fixed-side ring rail 45A andthe movable-side ring rail 45B is semi-cylindrical, the inner walllength is different depending on the rotation angle of the gantry 28.That is to say, since the length corresponding to the irradiation system57 is different depending on the rotation angle of the gantry 28, theinner wall length is different depending on the rotation angle.

If the irradiation system 57 is present at the arc-like portion of thesemi-cylindrical orbit 76 (if the gantry 28 is rotated by the angleranging from 0° to 90°), the length corresponding to the irradiationsystem 57 is constant and the inner wall length is constant. As a partof the irradiation system 57 is moved to the connecting portion of thesemi-cylindrical orbit 76 (the rotation angle of the gantry 28 rangesfrom 90° to 120°) and then to the horizontal portion (the rotation angleof the gantry 28 ranges from 120° to 180°), the length corresponding tothe irradiation system 57 is changed and the inner wall length ischanged.

For example, when the rotation angle of the gantry 28 is 180° and theirradiation system 57 is in the horizontal portion (see FIG. 9), theslide members 69A and 69B attached movably to the pair of guide rails 71disposed on each of the pair of side surfaces of the irradiation system57 opposite to each other in the rotating direction of the gantry 28 andattached to one end of each of the footboard groups 74A and 74B are bothin the closest position to the center axis 28A of the gantry 28 in theradial direction of the gantry 28. Here, the length of the irradiationsystem 57 (the length corresponding to the irradiation system 57)between the slide member 69A attached to one end of the footboard group74A and the slide member 69A attached to one end of the footboard group74B is shorter than the length of the irradiation system 57 between theslide member 69A attached to one end of the footboard group 74A and theslide member 69A attached to one end of the footboard group 74B in thestate that the irradiation system 57 is in the arc-like portion with thegantry 28 having a rotation angle of 0° (see FIG. 7).

When the movable floor 36 is moved along the semi-cylindrical orbit 76in accordance with the rotation angle of the gantry 28, the slidemembers 69A and 69B separately attached movably to the pair of guiderails 71 disposed on the pair of side surfaces of the irradiation system57 opposite to each other in the rotating direction of the gantry 28 aremoved along with the movement of the movable floor 36, i.e., along theguide rail 71 in the radial direction of the gantry 28 as theirradiation system 57 turns.

While the irradiation system 57 is in the arc-like portion of thesemi-cylindrical orbit 76 (for example, the rotation angle of the gantry28 ranges from 0° to 90°), the pair of slide members 69A and 69B is inthe farthest position from the center axis 28A of the gantry 28 in theradial direction of the gantry 28. As a part of the irradiation system57 is moved to the connecting portion of the semi-cylindrical orbit 76(the rotation angle of the gantry 28 ranges 90° to 120°) and then to thehorizontal portion of the orbit 76 (the rotation angle of the gantry 28ranges from 120° to 180°), the slide members 69A and 69B attached to oneend of the footboard group 74B move closer to the center axis 28A of thegantry 28 along the pair of guide rail 71 disposed on one side surfaceon the turning-direction side of the irradiation system 57 as theirradiation system 57 turns (FIG. 8). While the entire irradiationsystem 57 is in the horizontal portion of the semi-cylindrical orbit 76(the rotation angle of the gantry 28 ranges from 150° to 180°), theslide members 69A and 69B attached to one end of the footboard group 74Amove closer to the center axis 28A of the gantry 28 along the pair ofguide rail 71 disposed on the other side surface opposite to theturning-direction side of the irradiation system 57 as the irradiationsystem 57 turns (FIG. 9). When the irradiation system 57 approaches tothe area right below the bed 63 (the rotation angle of the gantry 28 is180°), the slide members 69A and 69B move closer to the guide rails 71on both side surfaces of the irradiation system 57 as the irradiationsystem 57 turns.

That is to say, the change in inner wall length depending on therotation angle of the gantry 28 is synchronized with the change inlength of the opening 75 and the movement of the slide members 69A and69B along the guide rail 71. Other specific examples than the exampleillustrated in FIG. 7 are described with reference to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9.

FIG. 8 illustrates the state of the movable floor 36 of the treatmentcage 35 when the irradiation system 57 is at the position where therotation angle of the gantry 28 is 135°. A part of the irradiationsystem 57 is in the horizontal portion of the semi-cylindrical orbit 76.In this state, the slide members 69A and 69B attached to one end of thefootboard group 74B move closer to the center axis 28A of the gantry 28in the radial direction of the gantry 28, and the slide members 69A and69B attached to one end of the footboard group 74A is in the farthestposition from the center axis 28A of the gantry 28 in the radialdirection of the gantry 28. At this time, the inner wall length is theshortest and the length of the opening 75 is also the shortest. Thelength of the portion of the movable floor 36 (this portion ishereinafter referred to as a first movable floor portion) from the slidemembers 69A and 69B to the opening 75 on the footboard group 74A sideand the length of the portion of the movable floor 36 (this portion ishereinafter referred to as a second movable floor portion) from theslide members 69A and 69B to the opening 75 on the footboard group 74Bside are set so that the first movable floor portion and the secondmovable floor portion do not interfere with each other when the innerwall length is the shortest, i.e., so that the opening 75 has a lengthof 0 or more. The first movable floor portion includes the X-raytransmission plate 39 and the second movable floor portion includes theX-ray transmission plate 40.

FIG. 9 illustrates the state of the movable floor 36 of the treatmentcage 35 when the irradiation system 57 is at the position where therotation angle of the gantry 28 is 180°. The entire irradiation system57 is present in the horizontal portion of the semi-cylindrical orbit76. The slide members 69A and 69B attached to one end of each of thefootboard groups 74A and 74B move toward the center of the pair of guiderails 71 provided on the circulating-direction side and opposite to thecirculating-direction side of the irradiation system 57 as the movablefloor 36 moves along the semi-cylindrical orbit 76. On this occasion,the length of the opening 75 is the maximum. The opening 75 is rightabove the bed 63 (at the position corresponding to a rotation angle of0°).

Next, description is made of the safe approach of the medical technician93 to the patient 70 at every rotation angle of the gantry 28, focusingon the change in position and length of the opening 75 depending on therotation angle of the gantry 28. While the irradiation system 57 is atthe position where the gantry 28 has a rotation angle of 0°, the opening75 is at the position corresponding to a rotation angle of 180°, i.e.,right below the bed 63 (see FIG. 7). Therefore, the opening 75 does notlead to a safety problem. While the irradiation system 57 is present atthe position where the rotation angle of the gantry 28 ranges from 0° to60°, the opening 75 is generated in the horizontal floor portion 79 ofthe movable floor 36 and the horizontal floor portion 79 is formed bythe footboard group 74C. However, the structure with the inclination(tapered shape) of the irradiation system 57 as described below providesthe effect that enables the opening 75 to maintain the very smalllength; thus, the opening 75 does not lead to the safety problem. Inaddition, the opening 75 is closed by the cover 41, thereby preventingthe medical technician 93 and the patient 70 from feeling anxiety.

While the irradiation system 57 is present at the position where therotation angle of the gantry 28 ranges from 60° to 180°, the opening 75is not generated in the horizontal floor portion 79 of the movable floor36. Thus, the opening 75 does not lead to the safety problem. Inparticular, when the irradiation system 57 is at the position where therotation angle of the gantry 28 is 135°, the length of the opening 75 isthe shortest (substantially 0 in this embodiment) (see FIG. 8). When theirradiation system 57 is at the position where the rotation angle of thegantry 28 is 180°, the length of the opening 75 is the maximum but theopening 75 is at the position corresponding to a rotation angle of 0°,i.e., right above the bed 63 (see FIG. 9), in which case the safetyproblem is not concerned. In this regard, the opening 75 is closed bythe cover 41, so that people do not feel anxiety.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the medical technician 93 can standon the horizontal floor portion 79 of the movable floor 36 and approachthe patient 70 safely without depending on the rotating angle of thegantry 28.

To help the understanding of the operation, the numerals of the rotationangles of the gantry 28 are illustrated as examples and may varydepending on the size of the semi-cylindrical orbit 76 and the size ofthe irradiation system 57. In addition, the operation when theirradiation system 57 is present at the position where the rotationangle of the gantry 28 ranges from 0° to 180° has been described, andthe operation when the irradiation system 57 is present at the positionwhere the rotation angle of the gantry 28 ranges from 180° to 360° isomitted because the treatment cage 35 is horizontally symmetric.

In this embodiment, the orbit 76 including the arc-like portion and thehorizontal portion connected to opposite ends of the arc-like portion isprovided for each of the fixed-side ring rail 45A and the movable-sidering rail 45B. Thus, the movable floor 36 moving along this orbit 76forms the horizontal floor portion 79 in the horizontal portion of theorbit 76. The medical technician 93 can stand on the horizontal floorportion 79 and easily access (for example, perform medical act on) thepatient 70 on the bed 63 inserted into the treatment room 43.

The X-ray sources 71A and 71B are attached to the rotary drum 29 of thegantry 28, and the X-ray detection systems 72A and 72B are attached tothe irradiation system 57 opposite to the X-ray sources 71A and 71B,respectively. This configuration eliminates the necessity of moving theX-ray sources 71A and 71B and the X-ray detection systems 72A and 72B inthe axial direction of the gantry 28 in the X-raying of the targetvolume in order to position the target volume or the like. Thus, thetime required to start the X-raying can be shortened. This can improvethe treatment throughput. In this X-raying, the X-rays 78A and 78Bemitted from the X-ray sources 71A and 71B can be delivered to thepatient 70 on the bed 63 though the X-ray transmission plates 40 and 39provided for the movable floor 36, respectively.

In the particle therapy system according to JP-2006-239403-A, however,the irradiation system is provided with the X-ray source (X-ray tube);therefore, the position of the target volume cannot be checked while thetarget volume is irradiated with the ion beam. In the particle therapysystem 1 according to this embodiment, on the other hand, the X-raysources 71A and 71B are attached to the gantry 28. This configurationenables to irradiate the target volume in two different directions withthe X-rays 78A and 78B emitted from the X-ray sources 71A and 71B,respectively, while the target volume is irradiated with the ion beam.In addition, the X-rays 78A and 78B having transmitted through thetarget volume can be detected by the X-ray detection systems 72A and72B. With the X-ray detection signals output from the X-ray detectors ofthe X-ray detection systems 72A and 72B, the tomographic information ofthe target volume of the patient 70 on the bed 63 who is irradiated withthe ion beam from the irradiation system 57 can be formed. With the useof this tomographic information, the position of the target volumeirradiated with the ion beam can be known. Since the X-rays 78A and 78Bare delivered to the target volume from the two different directions,the position of the target volume irradiated with the ion beam can beknown with high accuracy. In addition, by using the tomographicinformation, the change in size of the target volume irradiated with theion beam can be known, and the treatment effect by the irradiation withthe ion beam can be known.

The X-ray sources 71A and 71B and the collimators 77A and 77B may beattached to the inner surface of the rotary drum 29 and disposed outsidethe movable floor 36. The thusly arranged X-ray sources 71A and 71B andthe like can provide the positioning data of the target volume, andmakes it possible to know the position of the target volume irradiatedwith the ion beam and the change in size of the target volume irradiatedwith the ion beam.

In this embodiment, the X-ray sources 71A and 71B are attached to theouter surface of the rotary drum 29 of the gantry 28. This configurationcan reduce the space formed between the movable floor 36 and the innersurface of the rotary drum 29 and reduce the diameter of the gantry 28,as compared to the case in which the X-ray sources 71A and 71B areattached to the inner surface of the rotary drum 29. Thus, the gantry 28can be reduced in size.

The X-ray 78A emitted from the X-ray source 71A attached to the outersurface of the rotary drum 29 is delivered to the target volume of thepatient 70 through the penetration hole 96A provided for the rotary drum29 and through the X-ray transmission portion 95 of the X-raytransmission plate 40. Thus, the emitted X-ray 78A can be delivered tothe patient 70 without being blocked. This can provide the clear imageof and near the target volume with the use of the compact X-ray source71A. The X-ray 78B emitted from the X-ray source 71B attached to theouter surface of the rotary drum 29 is delivered to the target volume ofthe patient 70 through the penetration hole 96B provided for the rotarydrum 29 and through the X-ray transmission portion 95 of the X-raytransmission plate 39. Thus, the X-ray 78B emitted from the X-ray source71B also provides the similar effect.

It is necessary to make the center axis 97 of the irradiation system 57coincide with the irradiation direction of the ion beam formed by thetreatment plan. The particle therapy system 1 is configured to deliverthe ion beam to the target volume from around in the range ofsubstantially 0° to 360°. The present inventors have found that, whenthe target volume is irradiated with the X-ray from around the targetvolume, the positions on the X-ray transmission plates 40 and 39 wherethe X-rays 78A and 78B emitted from the X-ray sources 71A and 71Btransmit vary depending on the rotation angle of the gantry 28. How thetransmission position changes is described with reference to FIG. 11,FIG. 12, and FIG. 13.

FIG. 11 illustrates the position of each X-ray transmission plate andthe position of the X-ray transmission on the X-ray transmission platein the treatment cage when the rotation angle of the gantry is 0°, FIG.12 illustrates those positions when the rotation angle of the gantry is90°, and FIG. 13 illustrates those positions when the rotation angle ofthe gantry is 180°. As the movable floor 36 is moved along the orbit 76along with the rotation of the gantry 28, the X-ray transmission plates39 and 40 of the movable floor 36 are also moved along the orbit 76smoothly. Along with this, the positions of the X-ray transmissionplates 39 and 40 in the orbit 76 change according to the rotation angleof the gantry 28. In addition, the positions on the X-ray transmissionplates 39 and 40 where the X-rays 78A and 78B transmit also vary in thecircumferential direction of the gantry 28 in accordance with therotation angle of the gantry 28 as illustrated in FIG. 11, FIG. 12, andFIG. 13. Since the rotation of the gantry 28 thusly changes thetransmission position of the X-ray on each of the X-ray transmissionplates 39 and 40, the width W₃ of the X-ray transmission portion 95 inthe circumferential direction of the gantry 28 needs to be larger thanthe width W₁ of the footboard 38. As the horizontal portion of thesemi-cylindrical orbit 76 has a width of W_(H), the horizontal floorportion 79 of the movable floor 36 formed by this horizontal portionalso has a width of W_(H). The horizontal floor portion 79 needs to beformed in order to enable the medical technician 93 to approach thepatient on the bed 63 to conduct the treatment in the treatment room 43safely. For these reasons, the X-ray transmission plates 39 and 40 needto have the width W₂ that is less than or equal to W_(H)−W₁ (≧W₂).

The treatment cage according to JP-2011-156263-A (hereinafter referredto as the conventional treatment cage, simply) includes a pair ofdrivers attached to the irradiation system at the opposite ends of themovable floor, and a controller that controls these drivers on the basisof the rotation angle of the gantry. Upon the generation of the openingbetween the irradiation system and one end of the movable floor as themovable floor moves along the semi-cylindrical orbit with the rotationof the gantry, the controller controls the driver in accordance with therotation angle of the gantry, causing the driver to attract the end ofthe movable floor toward the irradiation system (see JP-2011-156263-A,paragraph [0056] and FIG. 6). This prevents the space from being formedbetween the movable floor and the irradiation system in the horizontalfloor portion, enabling the medical technician to approach the patient70 on the bed 63 safely.

However, the conventional treatment cage requires the drivers, thecontroller, and the driving source for driving those, which hasincreased the number of components and complicated the system.Complication of the system leads to the higher manufacturing cost.Moreover, the complicated system will easily result in troubles andtherefore require the careful maintenance. As thus described, thetreatment cage according to the conventional technique needs to beimproved from the economical and maintenance point of view.

This embodiment employs the connector 68 including the slide members 69Aand 69B and the pair of guide rails 71. With this connector 68, theopposite ends of the movable floor 36 are connected to the pair of sidesurfaces of the irradiation system 57 opposite to each other in therotating direction of the gantry 28. This connection enables thetreatment cage 35 in this embodiment to omit the drivers, thecontroller, and the driving sources for those, which have been requiredin the conventional radiation treatment cage (hereinafter referred to asthe conventional treatment cage), and therefore to be simpler than theconventional treatment cage. The simplified treatment cage 35 accordingto this embodiment experiences fewer troubles and requires lessmaintenance work.

In this embodiment, with the rotation of the gantry 28, the slidemembers 69A and 69B attached to the opposite ends of the movable floor36 slide along the pair of guide rails 71 provided for the pair of sidesurfaces of the irradiation system 57 opposite to each other in therotating direction of the gantry 28, and move in the radial direction ofthe gantry 28. This enables the medical technician 93 to approach thepatient 70 on the bed 63 safely without depending on the rotation angleof the gantry 28. That is to say, in this embodiment, it is notnecessary to control the drivers to attract the end of the movable floortoward the irradiation system or set it away from the irradiationsystem, which is different from the conventional treatment cage. Thus,in this embodiment, the time required for one treatment can be shortenedand the workability can be improved.

In the conventional treatment cage, the driver is provided for each ofthe front surface and the rear surface of the irradiation system, andthe space where the drivers are installed has restricted the work space.In this embodiment, the connector 68 with the simple structure includingthe slide members 69A and 69B and the pair of guide rails 71 is providedfor the side surface of the irradiation system 57. This configurationcan provide the enough work space as compared to the conventionaltreatment cage. As a result, the workability can be improved in thisembodiment.

In the conventional treatment cage, the operation sound caused by thedriving possibly makes the patient feel anxiety. In this embodiment,however, the slide members 69A and 69B move along the pair of guiderails 71 synchronizing with the rotation of the gantry 28; thus, suchdriving sound is not generated. Thus, the patient does not feel anxiety.

In addition, when the irradiation system is present particularly at theposition where the rotation angle of the gantry 28 is 150° in theconventional treatment cage (see JP-2011-156263-A, FIG. 6), the openingis generated between the irradiation system and the end of the movablefloor near the bed 63. In this point, the drivers are controlled to pullthe end of the movable floor, thereby closing the opening in thehorizontal floor portion. Normally, before the opening is closed, theinterlocking function is activated to prohibit the entry of the medicaltechnician into the treatment cage and the safety of the medicaltechnician is thus secured. However, for some reasons, the medicaltechnician possibly enters the treatment cage and stands on thehorizontal floor portion of the movable floor, and the higher safetycountermeasure has been demanded. Moreover, the patient on the bed mightsee out of the treatment cage through the opening until the opening isclosed. In this case, the patient may fear of the medical treatment onsuch a high place.

In this embodiment, the connector 68 connects the side surfaces of theirradiation system 57 and the opposite ends of the movable floor 36.This configuration will not allow the opening to be generated betweenthe irradiation system 57 and the end of the movable floor 36 near thebed 63 when, for example, the irradiation system 57 is at the positionwhere the rotation angle of the gantry 28 is 150° (see FIG. 10). Thiscan further enhance the safety.

In this embodiment, the X-ray transmission plates 39 and 40 can havesmaller width in the circumferential direction of the gantry 28. If theopposite ends of the movable floor are attached to the pair of oppositeside surfaces of the irradiation system by the drivers as illustrated inFIG. 6 of JP-2011-156263-A, it is necessary to attract or send out theends of the movable floor with the drivers so as to close the openinggenerated between the side surface of the irradiation system and the endof the movable floor in the horizontal floor portion. Thus, the amountof movement of the movable floor in the circumferential direction inorder to close the opening is increased. In this embodiment, asdescribed above, the opposite ends of the movable floor 36 are attachedto the side surfaces of the irradiation system 57 by the slide members69A and 69B and the pair of guide rails 71. This configurationeliminates the necessity of moving the movable floor in thecircumferential direction by the driver and enables the X-raytransmission plates 39 and 40 to have smaller width in thecircumferential direction of the gantry 28.

In this embodiment, the pair of side surfaces of the irradiation system57 opposite to each other in the rotating direction of the gantry 28 isinclined toward the end of the irradiation system 57 so that theirradiation system 57 has the tapered structure. Description is made ofthe effect from the irradiation system 57 with such a tapered structurewith a comparison to a treatment cage according to a second embodimentto be described below (FIG. 14 and FIG. 15).

In the second embodiment as described below, a pair of side surface ofan irradiation system 57A attached to the gantry 28 opposite to eachother in the rotating direction of the gantry 28 is parallel to thenormal line of the rotation surface of the gantry 28. That is to say,this irradiation system 57A (illustrated with a dashed line in FIG. 10)has a box-like shape.

When the irradiation system 57A is at the position where the rotationangle of the gantry 28 is 135°, the length of the opening 75 is theshortest (see FIG. 15) and the length of each of the first movable floorportion and the second movable floor portion is set so that the firstmovable floor portion and the second movable floor portion do notinterfere with each other at the shortest inner wall length, i.e., sothat the length of the opening 75 is 0 or more.

FIG. 10 illustrates the comparison between this embodiment and thesecond embodiment. Since the irradiation system 57 in this embodiment isdifferent in shape from the irradiation system 57A in the secondembodiment, the total length of the first movable floor portion and thesecond movable floor portion in this embodiment is longer by the lengthd than the total length of the first movable floor portion and thesecond movable floor portion in the second embodiment. This is becausethe width between the slide member 69A attached to the end of the firstmovable floor portion and attached to one side surface of theirradiation system 57 in the rotating direction of the gantry 28 throughthe guide rail 71 and the slide member 69A attached to the end of thesecond movable floor portion and attached to the other side surface ofthe irradiation system 57 in the rotating direction of the gantry 28through the guide rail 71 is larger than the width of the irradiationsystem 57A.

Meanwhile, when the irradiation system 57A is at the position where therotation angle of the gantry 28 is 0°, the opening 75 generated rightbelow the bed 63 is larger in the second embodiment (see FIG. 14) thanthe opening 75 in the first embodiment (see FIG. 7). The opening 75 inthe second embodiment is larger than the opening 75 in the firstembodiment because of the difference d between the total length of thefirst movable floor portion and the second movable floor portion in thisembodiment and the total length of the first movable floor portion andthe second movable floor portion in the second embodiment. In otherwords, this is because of the difference in shape between theirradiation system 57 and the irradiation system 57A. While theirradiation system 57A is at the position where the rotation angle ofthe gantry 28 ranges from 0° to 60°, the relatively large opening 75 isformed in the horizontal floor portion 79 and this may lead to thesafety problem as illustrated in FIG. 14.

In this embodiment, the irradiation system 57 has the tapered structurewhere the pair of side surfaces of the irradiation system 57 opposite toeach other in the rotating direction of the gantry 28 is inclined towardthe end of the irradiation system 57. This configuration causes theslide members 69A and 69B attached to the ends of the movable floor 36to move in the radial direction of the gantry 28 on the inclined sidesurface of the irradiation system 57. As a result, the change in lengthin the range corresponding to the irradiation system 57 included in theentire length of the semi-cylindrical orbit 76 in the radial directionof the gantry 28 is suppressed. Thus, the length of the opening 75generated in the horizontal floor portion 79 is maintained to be verysmall, which enhances the safety further.

The irradiation system 57A employed in the second embodiment has thebox-like shape, and particularly, when the irradiation system 57A is atthe position where the rotation angle of the gantry 28 is 150°, theirradiation system 57A interrupts the medical technician 93 approachingthe patient 70 on the bed 63 in the treatment room 43, which leads to aproblem in workability.

The irradiation system 57 used in this embodiment has the tapered shape,and in particular, when the irradiation system 57 is at the positionwhere the rotation angle of the gantry 28 is 150°, the medicaltechnician 93 can approach the patient 70 more by the length d (see FIG.10) as compared to the embodiment, and thus the workability can beimproved.

In this embodiment, the treatment cage 35 includes the cover 41 and thecover winding system 42; thus, the following effects can be obtained. Asdescribed above, while the irradiation system 57 is at the positionwhere the rotation angle of the gantry 28 ranges from 0° to 60°, themicroscopic opening 75 is generated in the horizontal floor portion 79as illustrated in FIG. 7. The length of the opening 75 is maintained tobe very small and the safety problem does not occur. For the additionalsafety, the cover winding system 42 may operate to close the opening 75with the cover 41. While the irradiation system 57 is at the positionwhere the rotation angle of the gantry 28 ranges from 60° to 180°, theopening 75 is not generated in the horizontal floor portion 79 (see FIG.8 and FIG. 9); thus the opening 75 does not lead to the safety problem.For the additional safety, the opening 75 may be closed with the cover41. This can eliminate the anxiety from the operator and the patient.

In the current X-ray computed tomography for positioning the targetvolume before the target volume is irradiated with the ion beam, in thisembodiment, the X-rays emitted from the X-ray sources 71A and 71B aredelivered to the target volume of the patient 70 while the gantry 28 isrotated. In this current X-ray CT, however, the X-ray emitted from oneX-ray source, for example the X-ray source 71A, may be delivered to thetarget volume while the gantry 28 is rotated. That is to say, the X-rayemitted from the X-ray source 71A passes through the collimator 77A andthe penetration hole 96A and further through the X-ray transmissionportion 95 of the X-ray transmission plate 40 before being delivered tothe target volume. The X-ray having transmitted through the targetvolume is detected by each X-ray detector included in the X-raydetection system 72A. In this case, the gantry 28 is rotated in therange of, for example, 365°. Based on the X-ray detection signals outputfrom the X-ray detectors of the X-ray detection system 72A, the X-rayintensity information can be obtained. The image information formationsystem forms the tomographic information including the target volume ofthe patient 70 on the basis of the X-ray intensity information for eachX-ray detector of the X-ray detection system 72A and each measuredrotation angle of the gantry 28. The positioning data generation systemforms the aforementioned bed positioning data on the basis of thecurrent tomographic information and the reference tomographicinformation.

In the first embodiment, the X-ray sources 71A and 71B are circulatedaround the patient 70 on the bed 63 by rotating the gantry 28 while theX-rays are emitted from the X-ray sources 71A and 71B. Thus, the currenttomographic information is obtained. In contrast, in JP-H-1-209077-A,the target volume is positioned without circulating the X-ray sourceemitting the X-ray around the patient 70 on the bed 63. In suchpositioning of the target volume, the particle therapy system 1according to this embodiment can be employed. For example, the gantry 28is rotated up to a rotation angle of 45° so that the X-ray 78A from theX-ray source 71A travels in the Z-direction and the X-ray 78B from theX-ray source 71B travels in the X-direction.

As described above, the bed controller controls the driving mechanismsfor the treatment stand 62 to move the patient 70 on the bed 63 to thepredetermined position. In the state that the rotation angle of thegantry 28 is 45°, the X-ray 78A emitted upward from the X-ray source 71Atravels through the penetration hole 96A and further through the X-raytransmission portion 95 of the X-ray transmission plate 40 before theX-ray 78A is delivered to the target volume of the patient 70 on the bed63 from below. The X-ray 78A having transmitted through the targetvolume is detected by each X-ray detector included in the X-raydetection system 72A.

The X-ray 78B emitted horizontally from the X-ray source 71B travelsthrough the penetration hole 96B and further through the X-raytransmission portion 95 of the X-ray transmission plate 39 before theX-ray 78B is delivered horizontally to the target volume of the patient70 on the bed 63. The X-ray 78B having transmitted through the targetvolume is detected by each X-ray detector included in the X-raydetection system 72B.

With the X-ray detection signals output from the X-ray detectorsincluded in the X-ray detection system 72A and the X-ray detectionsignals output from the X-ray detectors included in the X-ray detectionsystem 72B, the positioning data generation system provides the amountof movement of the bed 63 in the X-Y plane, the rotation angle of thebed 63, and the amount of movement of the bed 63 in the X-Z plane asdescribed in JP-H-1-209077-A. The amounts of movement of the bed 63 andthe rotation angle of the bed 63 are input to the bed controller, andthe bed controller controls the corresponding driving mechanism for thetreatment stand 62, thereby positioning the bed 63 before the targetvolume is irradiated with the ion beam.

The treatment cage 35 used in the first embodiment includes the cover 41and the cover winding system 42. The operation of the cover windingsystem 42 closes the opening 75 in the horizontal floor portion 79 withthe cover 41, and eliminates the anxiety from the patient 70 and themedical technician 93 in the treatment room 43. For this reason, it ispreferable to have the cover 41 and the cover winding system 42.However, since the opening 75 does not lead to the safety problem asbelow, the treatment cage 35 does not necessarily include the cover 41and the cover winding system 42. For example, while the irradiationsystem 57 is present at the position where the rotation angle of thegantry 28 ranges from 0° to 60°, the opening 75 is generated in thehorizontal floor portion 79 (see FIG. 7). As described above, with thetapered structure of the irradiation system 57, the length of theopening 75 can be maintained to be very small, so that the opening 75does not lead to the safety problem. Moreover, while the irradiationsystem 57 is present at the position where the rotation angle of thegantry 28 ranges from 60° to 180°, the opening 75 is not generated inthe horizontal floor portion 79 (see FIG. 9), so that the opening 75does not lead to the safety problem.

By omitting the cover 41 and the cover winding system 42, the number ofcomponents of the treatment cage can be reduced and the treatment cagecan be simplified further as compared to the first embodiment.

In the first embodiment, each of the pair of side surfaces of theirradiation system 57 opposite to each other in the rotating directionof the gantry 28 is provided with the guide rail 71; however, the guiderail 71 may alternatively be provided for each of the front surface andthe rear surface of the irradiation system 57. That is to say, if theguide rail 71 is provided for each of the front surface and the rearsurface of the irradiation system 57 in parallel to the side surface ofthe irradiation system 57 facing in the rotating direction of the gantry28, the slide members 69A and 69B attached to the end of the movablefloor 36 can be separately moved along the guide rails 71 provided forthe front surface and the rear surface of the irradiation system 57,which is similar to the first embodiment. For example, when theirradiation system 57 is present at the position where the rotationangle of the gantry 28 is 150°, the connector 68 connects between theirradiation system 57 and the end of the movable floor 36. In this case,the opening 75 is not generated between the end of the movable floor 36and the irradiation system 57 in the horizontal floor portion 79. Thiscan increase the safety like in the first embodiment (see FIG. 10). Notethat the front surface of the irradiation system 57 corresponds to theside surface of the irradiation system 57 on the treatment stand 62side, and the rear surface of the irradiation system 57 corresponds tothe side surface of the irradiation system 57 on the back panel 46 side.

This embodiment employs two sets of X-ray sources and X-ray detectionsystems: the X-ray source 71A and the X-ray detection system 72A; andthe X-ray source 71B and the X-ray detection system 72B. However, one ofthese sets may be employed. If one set of X-ray source and X-raydetection system is used, the movable floor 36 includes one X-raytransmission plate opposite to each of one set of X-ray source and X-raydetection system. In the case of using one set of X-ray source and X-raydetection system, the position of the target volume when the ion beam isdelivered cannot be known; however, since the X-ray can be delivered tothe patient from the X-ray source while the gantry 28 is rotated, thepositioning of the target volume is possible.

The first embodiment is similarly applicable to a particle therapysystem including a gantry rotating in the range of 180° (a half gantry)instead of the gantry 28 rotating in the range of 360°.

Second Embodiment

A particle therapy system according to the second embodimentcorresponding to another preferred embodiment of the present inventionis described with reference to FIG. 14 and FIG. 15.

A particle therapy system 1A according to this embodiment includes theirradiation system 57A instead of the irradiation system 57 in theparticle therapy system 1 according to the first embodiment. Theirradiation system 57A employed in the particle therapy system 1A hasthe box-like shape, which is different from the irradiation system 57. Apair of side surfaces of the irradiation system 57A opposite to eachother in the rotating direction of the gantry 28 is parallel to thenormal line of the rotation surface of the gantry 28 (the side surfacesof the irradiation system 57A are not inclined). The other structure ofthe particle therapy system 1A is the same as the particle therapysystem 1 according to the first embodiment.

The irradiation system 57A has the box-like shape and is not tapered;thus, the particle therapy system 1A according to this embodiment doesnot provide the effect of the particle therapy system 1 according to thefirst embodiment: the change in the length corresponding to theirradiation system 57 included in the entire length of thesemi-cylindrical orbit 76 in the radial direction of the gantry 28 issuppressed. In the particle therapy system 1A, however, the connector 68connects between the opposite ends of the movable floor 36 and the pairof side surfaces of the irradiation system 57A opposite to each other inthe rotating direction of the gantry 28, so that the effect from theconnector 68 can be obtained. In this embodiment, the effects obtainedfrom the first embodiment other than the effect that the change in thelength corresponding to the irradiation system 57 included in the entirelength of the semi-cylindrical orbit 76 in the radial direction of thegantry 28 is suppressed can be achieved.

In this embodiment, however, the opening 75 (see FIG. 14) generated inthe horizontal floor portion 79 while the irradiation system 57A ispresent at the position where the rotation angle of the gantry 28 is 0°is larger than the opening 75 (see FIG. 7) generated in the horizontalfloor portion 79 while the irradiation system 57 is present at theposition where the rotation angle of the gantry 28 is 0° in the firstembodiment; thus, the second embodiment is inferior to the firstembodiment in point of safety. In order to improve the safety by solvingthis problem, the structure of the treatment cage 35 used in the secondembodiment may be changed a little as described below.

In the second embodiment, for example, the movable floor 36 includingthe two cover winding systems 42 may be used. In this case, the movablefloor 36 includes, for example, three movable floor portions: the firstmovable floor portion (footboard group 74A), the second movable floorportion (footboard group 74B), and a third movable floor portion (X-raytransmission plate 39, footboard group 74C, and X-ray transmission plate40), and further includes the cover winding system (first cover windingsystem) 42 disposed between the first movable floor portion and thethird movable floor portion and the cover winding system (second coverwinding system) 42 disposed between the second movable floor portion andthe third movable floor portion. In this case, the movable floor 36 hasa latch structure (not illustrated) that fixes the intermediate thirdmovable floor portion to the gantry 28 in the rotating circumferentialdirection. The other structure is the same as the particle therapysystem 1 in the first embodiment.

The movable floor 36 includes the first movable floor portion, thesecond movable floor portion, and the third movable floor portion. Thisconfiguration does not allow the generation of the opening 75 in thehorizontal floor portion 79 while the irradiation system 57A is presentat the position where the rotation angle of the gantry 28 is 0°, whichis similar to the first embodiment. Thus, the opening 75 of the movablefloor 36 does not lead to the safety problem. If the opening 75generated between the first movable floor portion and the third movablefloor portion (between the footboard 38 at the end of the first movablefloor portion and the X-ray transmission plate 39 adjacent to thisfootboard 38) or the opening 75 generated between the second movablefloor portion and the third movable floor portion (between the footboard38 at the end of the second movable floor portion and the X-raytransmission plate 40 adjacent to this footboard 38) exists in thehorizontal floor portion 79, the first cover winding system 42 or thesecond cover winding system 42 is operated to close the opening 75 inthe horizontal floor portion 79 with the cover 41. This eliminates theanxiety from the medical technician 93 and the patient 70. In the caseof putting the cover 41 on the opening 75 in the horizontal floorportion 79 by the operation of the first and second cover windingsystems 42, the cover 41 is preferably pulled out from the X-raytransmission plate 39 or 40 side toward the footboard 38 of the firstmovable floor portion or the second movable floor portion so that thepulled cover 41 is not overlapped on the X-ray transmission plate 39 or40.

Third Embodiment

Description is hereinafter made of a particle therapy system accordingto a third embodiment corresponding to another preferred embodiment ofthe present invention with reference to FIG. 16.

The particle therapy system 1 according to the first example employs theion beam generator 2 including the synchrotron accelerator 3 but aparticle therapy system 1B according to this embodiment employs an ionbeam generator 2A including a cyclotron accelerator 83.

The particle therapy system 1B includes, as illustrated in FIG. 16, theion beam generator 2A, the HEBT 15, the GABT 20, the gantry 28, and theirradiation system 57. The structure of the particle therapy system 1Bis the same as that of the particle therapy system 1 except the ion beamgenerator 2A. Here, the ion beam generator 2A, in which the particletherapy system 1B is different from the particle therapy system 1, ismainly described.

The ion beam generator 2A includes an ion source 82 and the cyclotronaccelerator 83. The cyclotron accelerator 83 includes a circular vacuumvessel 84, bending magnets 88A and 88B, a radiofrequency accelerator 87,and an extraction septum magnet 89. A vacuum duct 85 has one endconnected to the ion source 82 and the other end extending to the centerof the vacuum vessel 84 and connecting to the vacuum vessel 84. Aninjection electrode 86 curving on the horizontal plane is disposed inthe vacuum vessel 84 near the open end of the vacuum duct 85. Thebending magnets 88A and 88B have the semi-circular shape and aredisposed with their linear portions facing each other, and cover theupper and lower surfaces of the vacuum vessel 84.

The septum magnet 89 provided for the ion beam exit of the vacuum vessel84 is connected to the beam path 16 of the HEBT 15. A degrader 90 with aplurality of metal plates is attached to the beam path 16 between theseptum magnet 89 and a quadrupole magnet 18. The degrader 90 has afunction of adjusting the energy of the ion beam emitted from thecyclotron accelerator 83, and includes a plurality of metal plates withdifferent thickness (not illustrated). These metal plates are movable ina direction perpendicular to the beam path 16. One or more of such metalplates with different thicknesses is inserted into the beam path 16across the beam path 16, thereby controlling the attenuation amount ofenergy of the ion beam traveling through the beam path 16. As a result,the energy of the ion beam to be delivered to the target volume of thepatient 70 can be changed and the ion beam can be delivered to eachlayer existing in the target volume in the depth direction.

In this embodiment, the movable floor 36 includes the X-ray transmissionplates 39 and 40, the X-ray sources 71A and 71B and the collimators 77Aand 77B are attached to the outer surface of the rotary drum 29, and theX-ray detection systems 72A and 72B are attached to the irradiationsystem 57 and this is similar to the first embodiment.

The particle therapy system 1B according to this embodiment can providethe effect obtained in the first embodiment.

In the second and third embodiments, the positioning of the targetvolume can be carried out before the irradiation with the ion beam asdescribed in the first embodiment, and additionally, the position of thetarget volume and the effect from the irradiation with the ion beam canbe known during the irradiation of the target volume with the ion beam.

1. A particle therapy system comprising: a gantry; an irradiation systemwhich is attached to the gantry and to which an ion beam is incident; atreatment cage installed in the gantry, having an orbit including anarc-like portion and a horizontal portion communicating with thearc-like portion, and including a surrounding member formed by aplurality of connected footboard members and capable of moving along theorbit; an X-ray source disposed outside the surrounding member andattached to the gantry; and an X-ray detection system disposed insidethe surrounding member, attached to the irradiation system, anddetecting an X-ray from the X-ray source, wherein the surrounding memberincludes an X-ray transmission member disposed between the adjacentfootboard members, connected to the each of the adjacent footboardmembers, disposed between the X-ray source and the X-ray detectionsystem, and transmitting an X-ray emitted from the X-ray source.
 2. Theparticle therapy system according to claim 1, wherein a width W₂ of theX-ray transmission member in a circumferential direction of the gantryis larger than a width W₁ of the footboard member in the circumferentialdirection and is less than or equal to a value obtained by subtractingthe width W₁ from a width W_(H) of a horizontal floor portion of thesurrounding member that is located in the horizontal portion of theorbit.
 3. The particle therapy system according to claim 2, wherein theX-ray transmission member includes an X-ray transmission region and aplate-shaped metal member and a width W₃ of the X-ray transmissionregion in the circumferential direction is smaller than the width W₂ ofthe X-ray transmission member.
 4. The particle therapy system accordingto claim 1, wherein: the X-ray source is disposed outside the gantry andattached to an outer surface of the gantry; and an X-ray transmissionhole is formed at a position on the gantry opposite to the X-ray source.5. The particle therapy system according to claim 1, wherein the X-raysource includes a first X-ray source and a second X-ray source; thefirst X-ray source and the second X-ray source are disposed apart fromeach other in a circumferential direction of the gantry; the X-raydetection system includes a first X-ray detection system and a secondX-ray detection system; the first X-ray detection system is disposedopposite to the first X-ray source; and the second X-ray detectionsystem is disposed opposite to the second X-ray source.
 6. The particletherapy system according to claim 5, wherein the X-ray transmissionmember includes a first X-ray transmission member and a second X-raytransmission member; the first X-ray transmission member is disposedopposite to the first X-ray source; and the second X-ray transmissionmember is disposed opposite to the second X-ray source.
 7. The particletherapy system according to claim 1, wherein a width W₂ of each of thefirst and second X-ray transmission members in a circumferentialdirection of the gantry is larger than a width W₁ of the footboardmember in the circumferential direction and is less than or equal to avalue obtained by subtracting the width W₁ from a width W_(H) of thehorizontal floor portion of the surrounding member that is located inthe horizontal portion of the orbit.
 8. The particle therapy systemaccording to claim 7, wherein each of the first and second X-raytransmission members includes an X-ray transmission region and aplate-shaped metal member and a width W₃ of the X-ray transmissionregion in the circumferential direction is smaller than the width W₂ ofthe X-ray transmission member.
 9. The particle therapy system accordingto claim 1, further comprising a pair of connectors provided for theirradiation system, the connector connecting between each of oppositeends of the surrounding member and each of a pair of opposite sidesurfaces of the irradiation system in a manner that movement in a radialdirection of the gantry is possible.
 10. The particle therapy systemaccording to claim 9, wherein the connector comprises a guide memberattached to the side surface of the irradiation system and extending inthe radial direction of the gantry, and a slide member attached to theend of the movable floor member and attached movably to the guidemember.
 11. The particle therapy system according to claim 9, whereinthe pair of side surfaces of the irradiation system opposite to eachother in the rotating direction of the gantry is tapered toward a centeraxis of the gantry.
 12. The particle therapy system according to claim6, wherein the surrounding member includes a first movable floor portionincluding a plurality of footboard members connected bendably and thesecond X-ray transmission member, and a second movable floor portionincluding a plurality of footboard members connected bendably and thefirst X-ray transmission member.
 13. The particle therapy systemaccording to claim 9, further comprising a cover that closes an openinggenerated in the surrounding member, and a cover winding system thatmoves the cover.
 14. The particle therapy system according to claim 1,further comprising an accelerator that accelerates the ion beam, and abeam transport that is connected to the accelerator and guides the ionbeam from the accelerator to the irradiation system.